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lithium ion batteries

10-22-2010, 10:59 PM

we bought a 18 volt lithium ion combo set 2 years ago and have a lot of trouble with the batteries not charging. we have replaced them 5 times already. help help how about the 3 amp 18 volt anybody have good luck with them thank you

Comment

You are not the only one. Since I made the switch from my old 12V stuff the 18V lithium Ion batteries have been a nightmare. Almost every other one I buy doesn't last two months before it shows bad and wont take a charge. Not only this but we bought them for work and had the same experience. Lots of 17 and 18 year old kids are going through our program with disdain for these new things. It really is a pain to take them back all the time. Is there a better technology out there?

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I am on my second set of batteries and have owned my auto shift drill combo set for less than a year, and now my new batteries that I purchased 3 months ago are failing, can some one help me.

Thanks RichG

Rich.......I think I can help
1-Why did you purchase a new set of batteries? All the components of the Ridgid combo set you purchased are warranted for at least (3) three years with proof of purchase and for your lifetime if you registered the tools for the LSA.
2-Locate a Ridgid service center in your area. Call around to find one that has made the investment in Ridgid testing equipment and an inventory of batteries. Not all service centers are created equally.
3-Take your batteries, your charger and the drill and proof of purchase into the service center for testing. You may have a problem with the charger or tool causing the batteries to go bad.
4-The Ridgid service center will repair or replace any defective tools and or bad batteries
How's that for help? Let us know how things turn out.....Ray

Comment

It would be very helpful if ProBrand would post the results when he gets involved with helping a poster. Many of us attempt to help people with our experience and knowledge. There are certain facts that only someone who has direct access to Ridgid can provide information about.
A couple of points
1-There is a lack of definitive information regarding Ridgid requirements to be a authorised Ridgid service center. What testing equipment are they required (if any) to have in place?
2-What level of inventory (if any) are they required to mantain?
3-Are their any minimum training requirements for Ridgid service center personel?
4-The hearsay information posted on this forum would indicate that non of the above are current requirements for Ridgid service centers. Again, numerous postings to this forum would indicate that inferior Ridgid service centers are a very negative customer service issue. Does Ridgid recognise this fact and do they have any plans to address the issue?
5-There seems to be this ongoing problem with Ridgid batteries. I realise that some of the issues are user error, misuse, abuse, chronic whiners, competitor shills and people who shouldn't be let out without supervision. The problem is there are many complaints from people that seem legitimate. Those of us trying to provide assistance often feel in the dark. When I had a delivery problem from my Ridgid service center when replacing batteries he told me this (slow deliveries to service centers had been an ongoing problem). We hear rumors that Ridgid is replacing their battery manufacturer. The problem we Ridgid supporters have, is we never see any input from Ridgid people or the moderators of this forum or ProBrand with factual information that might clear up some of these issues.
It would be very beneficial if you could tell us how various problems you become involved with are resolved. It would also be very helpful to clarify this unending service center problem. Thanks.....Ray

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Ray, thanks for that post. As a Home Depot associate and a member of the Social Media team, I deal with Ridgid pro customers every day. I have followed this topic from day one and am very interested in the response. I have not seen this type of problem at the store level with Ridgid LI batteries, but have had complaints about other brands. In researching the problems for premature failure, I found that 1) the batteries were left in the charger long term instead of removing once charged, and 2) excessive charging when not needed. Those by far were the most common "finds".

Again, thanks for the post. I look forward to hearing the response from Probrand.

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" In researching the problems for premature failure, I found that 1) the batteries were left in the charger long term instead of removing once charged, and 2) excessive charging when not needed. Those by far were the most common "finds". " Being in a professional cabinet shop, we have about 30 guys with at least 1 if not 2 cordless drills. All major brands and sizes are represented. Most of the guys don't read the manuals, especially the new l-ion drills. It's funny how they all complain about the battery drain. I gave up telling them to remove the batteries once charged, the need to read the manuals. I even had one guy with a Makita unit complain about flashing lights on the charger. Turns out it was the charger doing a test and then charged as normal. He thought it was defective.

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We switched to Ridgid tools about a year ago. Most of the combo kits come with the compact (1.5ah) batteries. These batteries do not last any time at all. we have had problems in getting replacements in the past, but have finally gotten Home Depot to exchange them with other compacts. We have purchased the 3.0ah batteries, and they seem to last. We have several chargers, 8 in total so the batteries are not exposed to the same chargers every time they are charged. I tried to take one of the batteries to the Ridgid service center in my area and they told me that I need to bring my drill, charger, and my reciept. Since we have many tools and chargers, how would I know which one to bring in? Also the receipt is stored in the main office, which I don't have access to.

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Yes, I have the same problem. One shows defective and the other will last for about 45 seconds and even then it is weak enough you can stop it by hand. I am very disappointed.

I am in the exact same boat. I bought the 18v L-Ion Drill driver. Used it sparingly for the project I was working on. 2 months later I pull it out, place a battery on the charger... charger tells me its bad. So I used the other battery. Fast Forward about a year later, and the drill gets minimal use in that time period. Now the second battery last 15 seconds. So I went out and bought DeWalt corded drill to finish the project I was working on.

I bought the Ridgid because of the LSA, but I was ignorant of the fact that you had to register the product. I just figured it was like the old craftsman "if it broke, bring it in". Don't get me wrong , I LOVE the drill, but without batteries its useless and I can't see spending $99 bucks for a new battery when I can go buy a new competitor brand drill with 2 batteries for nearly the same price. To compound matters the drill is certainly less than 3 years old, and I have the original packaging, but my wonderful spouse lost the receipt. Hooray.

Is there any chance that there was a recall on these batteries or that they are defective somehow? Will customer service be willing to work with me if I ship them back with the original box? Is there any way I can condition the batteries to work again?

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I bought the Ridgid because of the LSA, but I was ignorant of the fact that you had to register the product.

Is there any chance that there was a recall on these batteries or that they are defective somehow? Will customer service be willing to work with me if I ship them back with the original box? Is there any way I can condition the batteries to work again?

Ridgid power tools have a 3yr warranty which covers the batteries. Find a local service center and contact Ridgid CS for advice for additional warranty questions especially since you have the "box" which is usually tossed out first by those that fail to register for LSA. Batteries purchased outside of a kit have a 3yr warranty.

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I am in the same bind as the rest with batteries coming up defective. My problem is that I can't find my receipt and the account it was purchased from is now closed due to divorce. My drill has been sitting in my garage for a year and I want to be able to use it. Any suggestions of what I can do or am I out of luck?

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we bought a 18 volt lithium ion combo set 2 years ago and have a lot of trouble with the batteries not charging. we have replaced them 5 times already. help help how about the 3 amp 18 volt anybody have good luck with them thank you

ive been having the same problem. i dont know what else to do besides keep having them replaced, but id rather just have batteries that last longer or maybe exchange the lithium batteries for a different, compatible 18v battery to avoid this problem in the future. it just seems to me that the batteries ought to last a while longer. i usually get around 4 months out of a pair of batteries before they start giving me trouble, shortly after that they are useless. i love the drill though!